Keith Pompey

The Big East released its 2012 football schedules for league members on Tuesday.

Temple opens the season against Villanova in the annual Mayor’s Cup on Aug. 31 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Owls will open Big East play at home against South Florida on Oct. 6. And this marks the first season since 2003 that Temple will face in-state rivals Penn State and Pittsburgh in the same season.

For now, Owls will have an 11-game schedule with two bye weeks. That could change, as Temple is still looking to add a 12th opponent.

Keith Pompey has been an Inquirer reporter since September 2004. He took over the Sixers beat in the summer of 2013 after covering the Temple basketball and football for the previous three years. Pompey also previously covered the Penn and Drexel men’s basketball team and Villanova football team after initially focusing on high school sports.